Nexus
by Ziryx
Summary: The Riders have fallen, Galbatorix ascends. A new tale of magic is about to begin.
1. Part 1

This story has been running through my head for a few weeks now and I finally got most of it figured out. Thanks to Baxter54132 for beta reading, and I'm happy with how the story is turning out. I hope you enjoy it!

I now present Nexus: Part 1.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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This is the tale of Asural, a soldier in King Galbatorix's army. It takes place after the fall of the Riders but before the birth of Eragon. The story begins with the deployment of Asural's platoon to suppress an uprising in Ceunon. A city that lays 500 leagues north of Uru'Baen, the capital of the Empire.

The platoon is currently camped on the edge of Du Weldenvarden, a vast expanse of forest to the north of the Empire.

The platoon had just finished setting up camp for the night and were now talking and laughing around several fires that had been lit to keep the cold away.

Every member of the platoon wore a red tunic with the insignia of the Empire emblazoned on it, although it was hard to tell what color the tunics were because every one of them was weathered and stained from weeks of marching.

They had managed to trek through every type of weather imaginable, ranging from icy blizzards to chaotic deserts. The forest was a nice change from the barren wasteland they had traveled across, the only downside being the bitter cold that it brought to the camp.

The troop had a large variety of soldiers, most of them bore broadswords, a select few were archers or halberd carriers, and one of the men was a magician.

The magician was along to strike fear into the rebellion. He was vital in order to prevent the platoon from losing too many men.

Asural was 19 years old with brown hair, brown eyes, and stood at about 5 and a half feet tall. He had been training in the King's army ever since he was 15.

He was sitting quietly by himself warming his hands over the fire when Tial, the platoon's magician, came and sat next to him.

They were twins and this was the first mission for both. They had enlisted together and, when Tial was found to possess magical potential, he was taken into special training.

This mission was the first chance they had to see one another in 4 years.

"Looks like we're in for another cold and snowy night," said Tial.

"Why can't you just use some magic to keep the cold off of us," Asural asked grumpily.

"I've already told you why several times, it's because I was ordered by the captain not to use magic for such trivial things like comforting the men. He said that it would do wonders for the discipline required of the platoon."

"It's still stupid that we have sit out here in this cold, it has to be below zero already and the sun just set."

They both knew the real reason behind the captain's order, the captain was just cruel. He didn't care if a few of them failed to wake up the next morning, as long as he still had enough men to quell the rebellion.

Later that night, the lieutenant walked up to them and addressed the two men, "Asural, you are to join Ralph and Polon for a hunting trip tomorrow morning; you'll have 2 days to bag some food and get back here. We're still a week's march from Ceunon and our current rations will only last for 4 more days. It is imperative that we have enough food to get us to Ceunon. As for your watch tonight, it's already been taken care of."

Asural nodded and saluted the Lieutenant, which he returned, then spun on his heels and walked away.

"Well I better get to sleep then," said Asural, "I'll be waking early tomorrow."

"Good luck," said Tial.

-

Asural woke a few hours before dawn and the 3 of them had slung their bows and swords and were leaving just as the first few soldiers began to wake.

They entered a clearing a few hours after they had left the camp when Polon said, "Meet back here tomorrow afternoon with whatever you can catch, and don't be late."

And with that the 3 went their separate ways.

By the next day, Asural had bagged several squirrels and a buck.

He was entering the clearing where they would meet before heading back to camp, when he heard a deep rhythmic booming coming from the sky directly in front of him.

Suddenly a great dragon flew overhead. It was sky blue with its belly and head an even lighter shade. As it flew overhead, all that could be heard was the booming of its wings.

As quickly as it had appeared, it had vanished. No trace of the dragon was left except the booming that slowly faded into an eerie calmness that overtook the clearing.

When the sound of the dragon had faded, Asural slowly emerged from behind the tree he had taken cover behind, and sat on a stump at the edge of the clearing.

For the next hour and a half, he watched the clouds roll by and wondered about the dragon.

_Why was a dragon was flying about; I thought they were all extinct. What was really strange is that the dragon seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, or maybe fleeing from something. But what could a dragon be afraid of, _he thought.

Thoughts like these raced in and out of his head until he decided that whatever it was, it probably involved magic and Tial would know more about it.

Tial seemed to know everything about magic, he was also quite talented with working magic.

After a while he became bored and began to wonder when Ralph and Polon would return when he saw a flash of light at his feet.

He looked down, and there was a small, white crystal lying there. He bent to pick it up when he heard snow crunch behind him.

He turned and was about to ask, "What took you so long," when he collapsed and everything went dark.

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Cliffhangers are the devil... I hope you enjoyed Part 1.

Please Review!


	2. Part 2

I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, I just hope its fun for you to read it.

I now present Nexus: Part 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

When Asural opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a clump of grass between some trees. On closer inspection he realized that he was in a strange forest that appeared to be in the early stages of fall. The leaves were colored many shades, ranging from greenish yellow to bright red.

After his amazement disappeared, he realized he was alone.

He jumped up and rushed over to the largest tree and sat at its base. He took a moment to collect his thoughts and began to wonder how he got there.

After a minute Asural realized that he was holding the white crystal that he had found right before losing consciousness. But the crystal seemed a little different, light reflected and danced across its surface, almost as if light was leaking out of the crystal.

Suddenly the light in the forest dimmed and all was silenced. A ball of light floated out of the darkness and approached Asural. He stood quickly and pocketed the crystal, hiding it from the light's view. He reached for his sword, but it wasn't there. He lifted his hands up to his face, and balled them into fists.

Then the light spoke to him, "Come now, there is no need for alarm. Sit down."

Asural sat slowly, all the while watching the light suspiciously.

Then the ball of light said, "I have long searched for you, Asural, and I have finally found you." The ball of light faded and a silhouette was left in its place.

Asural could not tell if it was male or female. Only that it was somehow familiar and that it could be trusted.

The newcomer remained standing, and said, "We are short on time, so I will be brief. I need your help. I cannot go into detail here, but I will tell you this: amonst the king's troops there is a group of people who threaten the existence of all Alagaesia. They must be stopped."

"How can I help? I can't do much of anything. You should ask my brother Tial. He is very skilled in magic, he could help you more than I can."

"Tial... No. _You_ have the potential to do what others can only dream of. I will explain everything when I come to get you in 3 days." The stranger then turned to leave.

"Wait, who are you?" Asural asked quickly.

"That is something that will have to wait until we meet again."

And with that, the silhouette stepped toward him, placed a hand on his forehead and everything went black.

-

Asural opened his eyes and caught himself as he fell. He was sitting back on the stump at the edge of the clearing where he had been before. Snow was gently falling and all was quiet.

"What was that about?" Asural asked himself quietly, a little unnerved about what had just happened.

He turned and saw Polon and Ralph walking toward him carrying their catches.

"What took you? I've been sitting here for an hour and a half!" Exclaimed Asural.

"I'd say we got here right on time, maybe even a half hour early," replied Polon looking up at the sun.

"Well let's get back to camp already," said Asural glancing around. He wanted to get out of this forest as quickly as possible, disturbed by what had happened. _The sooner I'm away from this place, the better,_ thought Tial.

When they arrived back at camp it was already dark.

Asural dropped his gear off in his tent and hurried over to the fire to warm his hands. Tial soon sat next to him and asked, "How was the hunt?"

"We got more than usual, but you should take a look at this."

They both stood and Asural drew out the white crystal. "While I was waiting for Polon and Ralph a strange dragon flew overhead. Then I found this crystal on the ground. It caught my attention so I brought it back to show you."

Tial's eyes suddenly widened, "That is very strange indeed."

He reached for the crystal but just as he was about to touch it, all of the fires in the camp blazed and there was a loud bang. Tial was suddenly thrown backward into the darkness of the night.

Everyone in the camp jumped up at the sudden disturbance and started running around gathering their weapons, fearing an ambush. And then there was another loud bang, except this time from an explosion.

Asural suddenly felt drained, his mind went blank and he knew no more.

-

When he awoke, Asural sat up and gazed around misty eyed.

There was nothing within 50 meters of him. It was if everything had been wiped off the face of the earth. It was the same place where they had camped the night before, but all that was left was dirt.

He got up uneasily and shuffled about, looking around as if he would see something. But there was nothing within 50 meters of where he had been lying.

A tree stood at the edge of the circle. It had a large chunk missing from it that ran in line with the circle and all the way up into the branches.

Asural left the barren circle and started walking toward Ceunon, hoping he could get there before he starved or was frozen to death. He could not hunt or protect himself because his bow and sword had been caught in the blast.

He had been walking for 2 days straight when he collapsed from exhaustion.

He lay there for a while when he heard a whisper on the wind.

Asural sat up and instantly a diagram appeared on the ground and a dazzling light shone around him. Five cloaked figures appeared as well and stood around him in a circle.

In unison, they raised their right hand toward him and Asural was held in place, unable to move or speak.

The five spoke in a single clear voice, "We have come for you Asural. The king wishes to speak with you. You cannot use magic of any kind, do not resist."

The air shimmered as the five began to chant under their breaths. As they chanted the light flared up, blinding Asural. He shut his eyes tight as the light spread and blotted everything out.

Asural did not know how long he sat there, but there was suddenly a violent shudder underneath his feet. The light went out and he was released. Asural collapsed in the darkness.

When he came to, there was a fire burning near him. Asural sat up and noticed a person sitting next to the fire.

She had long black hair that nearly reached the ground and she was extremely pale, as if she had not seen the sun in some time.

"It would have been much easier to find you if you hadn't been caught by them, but I guess it can't be helped. My name is Jae."

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By the way, the camp was only spread 20 meters at the most from the point of the explosion. So they were all caught in the blast. Thanks for reading.

Please Review!


	3. Part 3

Yay, another chapter! It would be nice if more people reviewed my story...

I now present Nexus: Part 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Continuing from the last chapter…

"Your brother sent me to find you," said Jae.

"My brother? I thought he died in the explosion," said Asural.

"No, he is still alive. But that person was not your brother; he was a spy sent by those five to watch you in case your real brother or I showed up. Luckily, they do not share information with Galbatorix, which is why we are here now," laughed Jae.

"Then where is my brother?"

"He was captured by them about 3 months ago, and he somehow escaped a few weeks afterward. Although I haven't seen him since, I know he's out there somewhere." Jae trailed off and started gazing into the emptiness of the dark forest.

When she spoke again, sadness filled her voice.

"Tial and I had been traveling together for nearly 2 years. It was a peaceful night when they appeared. They ambushed us; there was nothing either of us could do. They are powerful magicians, and their sudden attack caught us off guard. We put up a good fight, but in the end it didn't matter. We slipped away and hid in an abandoned house, but they easily followed and soon had us cornered. As they were about to strike, Tial turned to me and said, 'I'm sorry, we'll see each other again soon.' He waved his hand toward me and I disappeared, reappearing in a forest hundreds of miles away. I haven't seen him since."

After a while Asural asked, "But who are 'they'?"

Jae glanced at him, and he could see that she was crying.

She sat quietly for a moment, before audibly sighing and saying, "They are only known as 'Doruin'. No one knows who they are or where they came from, they just appeared one day. And after witnessing their powers, Galbatorix made a secret alliance with them. Very few have seen them, and even fewer survive the encounter."

"Why are they coming after me? I haven't done anything."

"They're after you for two reasons; the first is so they can catch powerful members of the resistance."

"And the second?"

Jae smiled weakly and answered, "The second reason is that if you were to awaken, that is if you were to unlock the magic in your mind, you would pose a much greater threat to them than both Tial and I combined."

"Why is that?"

She looked up at the night sky as she said, "Who knows, all I can say is that it just is. Its one of the many mysteries of magic that no one will ever figure out."

"How can I be able to use magic?"

"There are a few people in the world who can use the Nexus, you happen to be one of them."

Asural was even more confused now. "What's the Nexus?"

Jae continued to look at the sky as she said, "It's another type of magic in this world. The most common type of magic, Gramarye, the one you know of, uses specific words to direct energy to do what the spell caster wants. The Nexus, however, has no spoken language and relies on the user's concentration. One might say that the two magics are opposites of each other."

"Opposites?" Asked Asural.

"Yes, the Nexus is centered around melee combat; whereas the other is primarily magic based. When used against each other, the two cancel each other out."

"I've never heard of any other type of magic though. How do I know if it really exists?" Asural asked, still having doubts about Jae.

Jae glared at him. "Fine, see for yourself," she then pointed a finger at a fallen tree and it erupted into flames.

Asural raised his arms over his head to shield himself from the sudden heat.

"Okay, okay. I get it; put it out before the whole forest lights."

The flames disappeared instantly, leaving Asural slightly dazed. "You're telling me that I can do that?"

"You still don't believe me. Then, are you ready?"

"For what?"

"This." Jae leaned over and touched Asural on the forehead with the tip of her finger. He fell over the instant her finger touched.

-

A flood of images flashed in front of Asural's sight. It lasted for what seemed like a minute, but when he opened his eyes, the sun was setting.

He looked around and the world seemed to have different feel. It was as if he was looking at the world clearly for the first time.

"Oh? You're awake." Said Jae, who was still sitting in the same spot as the night before. "Strange, it usually takes at least 30 hours for someone to come back from that, perhaps I didn't do it right."

She touched him on the forehead again but nothing happened. "I guess it was completed in such a short time." Jae started muttering to herself.

When his head finally cleared, Asural asked, "What did you do to me?"

Jae laughed as she answered, "That was the awakening, and you can now use the Nexus. We would normally start training from the ground up, but thanks to your military training, part of it is already done."

"Which part is that?"

"You've already been trained to use a sword, right? So what still has to be done is teaching you to use the Nexus and honing your swordsmanship."

Asural tried to stand, but he didn't have the energy.

"Oh, and try not to move. You're body is still recovering from the spell, but you should be fine in the morning. We can't do anything else today, so get some rest."

When he awoke, he was still a little weak.

Jae was still sitting in the same spot as the night before.

"Good, you're awake." Observed Jae, she was in a pretty happy mood this morning.

"Why are you so happy today?"

"It's because I finally have someone to talk to and train; even if you are a novice, it'll be fun." She started laughing. "At least for me."

That morning was spent discussing the basics of the Nexus, the spell structure and the symbols.

Around midday Jae suddenly stood and said, "That's enough for right now. This part is important if you wish to survive long."

A dozen swords appeared in the air and stuck in the ground.

"These are the basic designs for a sword."

She began pulling them one by one out of the ground, explaining a few things about them, and then releasing them. They disappeared right away.

After she was finished, she said "Now is the time for you to choose your weapon."

She took a short metal rod out of her cloak and dropped it at Asural's feet. It landed sticking straight up, and stayed there.

"Pull it out of the ground." Said Jae.

Asural bent and pulled it out. As soon as he grasped it, the metal changed into a hilt and as he drew it out, a blade appeared.

It was a single-edged blade, was a little over three feet long, and was slightly curved. It felt more comfortable than the sword he had used during his years in the army.

"This is the blade you will train with, I expect you to take good care of it."

She pulled her sword out of the air and said, "Don't worry about slicing each other to ribbons, the blade is rounded where the edge should be."

They stood at eye level with each other and took their stances.

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I'm shortening the training part of the story to preserve my sanity and your interest.

Please Review!


	4. Part 4

I only have a few words before the story. Come on, REVIEW.. please.. That is all.

I now present Nexus: Part 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Asural thought that his years of training in the army would be more than enough to defeat Jae, but he soon found out that he was dead wrong. As soon as their swords crossed on the first strike, Asural knew he would lose.

Their fight went on for about 3 minutes; during which Asural went through all of his techniques and started improvising, but in the end Jae disarmed him and whacked him painfully in the side with her sword.

"Good. Your strength and skill are near the edge of what humans are capable of; however, your speed and endurance must increase ten-fold in order for you to be of any use in a real fight. The only reason why the king is able to conquer so many countries is through overwhelming the enemy with numbers, so you must be able to outlast them."

The rest of the day was spent teaching Asural new moves and then trying them out in combat.

By the end, Asural was more tired than he had ever been during boot camp. He was battered and could barely move, while Jae hadn't been hit once.

Asural was still sore the next day, but he finally saw the usefulness of boot camp. It was a picnic compared to his current training.

Asural realized something as he was eating breakfast, "Won't Doruin find us if we stay here too long?"

Jae answered, "I forgot to tell you, this forest is a little strange. You can only get in or out at midnight. And that's about three months from now."

"What?!" Exclaimed Asural.

"Time runs differently here. Three months in here is one day out in the real world. It's not recommended to stay here longer than one 'day' at a time, it's not healthy."

"What exactly is this place?"

"Have you ever heard of the Forest of Eternity?"

"Yea, it's a mythical forest in which anyone who enters it goes mad from being in it just one day."

"Well that's this forest. Don't worry about it though; you won't go mad any time soon, as long as you do what I say," laughed Jae.

"What does that mean?"

"Do what I tell you and you won't have to find out." Jae lifted her hand slightly and a menacing light glowed from it.

"Well how long will the training take?" Asked Asural, watching her hand for any sudden movements.

"About 10 weeks. It's not like you're going anywhere soon."

"10 weeks? That seems a little short. It takes years to fully learn Gramarye and the magicians never truly stop learning."

"You already possess the skills needed to use it; we only need to teach you how to bring out your powers."

"How am I already able to use it? I've never even heard of it."

"That was what the flood of images was when you blacked out. Enough questions, it's time for some more training."

-

The next week was spent teaching magic theory and swordplay.

After that, Asural started to use magic. He would remember a piece of knowledge and he could use it easily.

"Not only does magic require a lot of concentration, it also requires a strong mind and will. If you can achieve all three, you will be able to use magic however you like. But until then, you must specify what you want to do through the symbols and the network of energy flowing through the magic."

The next month was spent using magic in a variety ways: ranging from manipulating the ground to creating gale force winds to changing the properties of light.

Finally, Asural started to use magic without writing out what he wanted to do.

"This is the most demanding part of the training. You must formulate what you want in your head and store it somewhere on your body, preferably on your arms to make it easy to access." Jae rolled up her sleeve and revealed a pattern of pictograms. "With these you don't have to draw out what you want, because it's all right here."

She held out a hand and a small circle of characters appeared above it. "Notice that one of the pictograms lit up, that's the one for this spell. With this, you aren't limited to casting a single spell, but as many as you can concentrate on."

Asural had a constant headache for a whole week from the stress it placed on his mind; but when it subsided he could finally use magic with ease.

Two weeks later, when he could control multiple spells at once, Jae asked him, "Do you see that raven up in the tree? Kill it with magic."

"Umm okay," answered Asural. He pointed at the bird, a small light flashed up his finger, and the bird fell out of the tree. Asural fell to the ground, feeling sick.

"That is what happens when you kill something with magic. A piece of your soul is destroyed in proportion to the size of the soul that was destroyed."

"You could have told me that instead." Asural said angrily.

"Yes I could have, but you wouldn't have known the full weight of what would happen and made that mistake at a critical time. In addition, you also can't bring anybody back from the dead, because it is impossible to create souls."

"Why can't I kill with magic?"

"Remember how I was saying that Gramarye and Nexus are opposites? Well Gramarye is very good at killing and protecting others. Nexus, for the most part, can only be used on one's self and the elements around them. And this brings us to the final part of the training." Jae paused for a second and continued, "Nexus's main ability is to draw out your inner power in order to sustain yourself physically with magic."

"Is that why you always beat me when we spar?"

"Yes, but I only use it to help you improve. I only use a small amount, in order to assure that I remain above your level. I could still beat you without its help but it teaches you more if I don't tire as easily."

The final two weeks of training were primarily spent sparring. Asural hit Jae on the fourth day and was so surprised that he dropped his guard and received a hard jab in the stomach with her sword.

Jae and Asural were fighting on even terms by the end of the two weeks and their fights sometimes lasted for five or more intense hours.

At the end of the training Jae congratulated Asural on making it through the training and told him, "I have two things to tell you before we're completely done with the training. The first is, you may have completed the training and learned everything there is to know about the Nexus, but there is still one thing left for you to learn and you must discover that for yourself. It is a power unique to each person that uses the Nexus and only a few people have been able to find it within themselves."

"Have you found your power?"

"Yes and I hope I never have to use it."

"Oh," said Asural, secretly hoping to see it one day. "What is the other thing you have to tell me?"

"Doruin is also a user of Nexus. The reason they are so dangerous is that their minds are linked into a single consciousness."

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know, that's what I was trying to figure out before I found you."

That night as they were sitting by the fire Asural asked, "Did Tial discover his power?"

"He discovered it just as we were about to be captured by Doruin. His power was to teleport, but he only had enough time to get me away from danger."

* * *

As a final note, nothing happened between Jae and Asural during the training. (Jae would have pinned him to a tree for a full day, not fun) (you people with dirty minds shame on you)

Reader feedback is much appreciated.

Please Review!


	5. Part 5

Sorry this took so long to write but I've had a bunch of stuff going on lately. I might be more inclined to write more often if people reviewed…*hint hint* I'm getting lots of hits but most people won't take the time to review.

I now present Nexus: Part 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

"How did you get into a situation where only you could escape? You told me how it ended, I want to hear the whole story," stated Asural, determined to get an answer.

"Well, I guess it's time you know what is going on." Jae paused a second to collect her thoughts, then continued, "We had been sent by the Varden to discover the whereabouts of Doruin and weaken them if possible. Since our magic was the only kind that worked against them, Tial and I were sent to find them.

We set out and traveled for nearly a month without finding a trace. But then we heard a rumor in Furnost of some cloaked figures who moved about like ghosts across the lake the night before. We had finally found them. We knew they were in the area so we up a search grid ten miles wide in hopes of finding them. We hoped that if they detected the use of the Nexus, they would show themselves quickly.

We waited for two days but they did not show up. Dismayed, we started to travel northwest and four days later, we found them. There were only two, but they were still fierce opponents. We prevailed and were about to deliver the final blow when they vanished and no trace of them was left.

We searched the area but they eluded us. We continued northwest, expecting them to appear at any moment. They found us at night a week later. All five of them were there and none of our attacks seemed to work. When we attacked one, another blocked the attack. When we tried to attack all five at once, they created a wide-range shield that deflected the attack.

We were quickly overwhelmed but we managed to escape by masking our presence and momentarily blinding them. Yet despite our best efforts, they managed to find us a few hours later in an old house where we were hiding.

You already know the rest," finished Jae. "We did learn one thing from our encounter with them; you don't find Doruin, Doruin finds you."

They sat in silence for a while until Asural finally asked, "Who are the Varden?"

"They are a secret resistance force against Galbatorix. Unless you decide to join them, that is all I can tell you."

"I know that what happened to me has probably turned the entire empire against me, but I don't want to join the Varden just because the Empire is after me."

"Tial was part of the Varden; he joined two years ago after he encountered Doruin. I don't know the details, but he left the military the day after they came to see him. He was nearly dead when I found him. I took him back to the Varden and they healed him. Out of gratitude for saving his life, he joined the Varden. I saw the potential in him so I taught him about the Nexus."

"I see, so that's why I never saw him..."

"You don't have to decide right away, there are still ten more days until we can get out of here. But the Varden could use another Nexus user."

"I'll think about it," said Asural. He sat there for several minutes before asking, "What happens if the empire captures me and, like they do to all magic users, drug me. I've heard of the effects the drug has, but how could I escape from that?"

"I knew I was forgetting something," laughed Jae. "To help with concentrating on several spells at once, you can set the spells to activate on a command, like a word or phrase."

"How did something that important slip your mind?" Asked Asural, slightly annoyed. "It could have helped a lot during the training."

"Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing to have; but in a battle your opponent would know what attack is coming. Anyways you shouldn't allow yourself to be captured."

"What if Doruin finds me, or a company with magicians and skilled warriors notice who I am?"

"If Doruin finds you, you'll have more trouble to deal with than worrying about being captured. As for the company, at your level of skill it would take about ten powerful magicians to take you down and even then they'll have their hands full. Anyways there is no single company with enough people and magic to defeat either of us."

"So are you telling me that I can take on an entire company single-handed and win?"

"Yes, but do not become arrogant with your new powers," Jae warned, "You must be careful, there are those within the Empire who can still fight you on even footing. If run into one of them it would be best if it was one on one."

They talked the rest of the night and the next ten days were spent preparing themselves for their journey.

At the end of their time in the forest, Asural finally decided to join the Varden.

When he had made his decision Jae said, "Good. Now we have a few weeks of traveling ahead of us. Before we go, you might want to change clothes, it could be troublesome if someone sees you in the Empire's army attire."

Asural looked down and closed his eyes for a second.

When he opened them, he was wearing a dark grey traveler's cloak.

A minute later the gap between two trees darkened and a field could be seen beyond it. They walked through it and into the field.

They arrived at Farthen Dur with nothing exciting happening and Asural was still in awe of the size of the mountains when they arrived at the entrance.

Asural noticed the dead end and asked, "Are sure this is the right way?"

Jae just shrugged and walked behind the waterfall, Asural following.

There was a small cave there and not much else.

Jae called loudly, "Open the door! It's Jae!"

Nothing happened as they stood there for several seconds.

Jae yelled, "You've got three seconds to open the door before I open it!"

Nothing happened and Jae placed her hand on the wall which was instantly blown apart the moment her hand touched it.

Jae muttered about something to do with the guards and not protecting the area as she stepped through the newly made hole.

They had entered a large tunnel that was perfectly carved into the mountain and looked like it went all the way to the mountain's core.

They were alone for approximately five seconds when several unseen doors quickly opened and thirty dwarves rushed out, weapons drawn.

Asural tensed, ready for any move against them; while Jae stood and didn't seem to care all that much, as if this happened regularly.

One of the dwarves spoke up, "It's only you. Why is it that you always have to destroy our doors instead of an ordinary hello?"

Jae laughed and said, "I wouldn't have to destroy the door if it had been opened in the first place. I do fix it afterwards, don't I?"

With that Jae snapped her fingers and the chunks rock refitted themselves into the hole. The noise of the waterfall was shut out and silence surrounded the group.

Another dwarf spoke up, "Who is he?" Pointing at Asural, who still had yet to be noticed.

All of the dwarves turned and pointed their weapons at him. Asural stood there silently, all the while watching the dwarves.

"He's with me," said Jae. "He is Tial's brother."

The dwarves quickly sheathed their weapons and bowed. The first dwarf, who appeared to be the groups leader said, "We are honored."

Jae cleared her throat, "Could we move along? I don't like being surrounded by this much rock."

The dwarves stood back up and prepared to escort them inside.

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To clarify the time when this is taking place, Brom formed the Varden about five years before and it is still a small, mostly unknown resistance group. Yet because Brom is the leader, it is one of the more powerful resistances.

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	6. Part 6

It has taken me a while but another chapter is finally done! Review... Review... Review... Review...

I now present Nexus: Part 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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They walked for nearly an hour down the tunnel until they reached a large door.

The leader turned and said something in dwarvish to his men. All but two of the dwarves disappeared through hidden doors.

The leader then addressed them using crisp English, he said, "Follow me."

The dwarf led them up to the door and it swung open, revealing the inside of the mountain. Asural could barely see the opposite side. What he could see, though, were many dwarves hurrying about their various tasks and a large white structure rising from the middle of the crater.

As they walked Jae said to Asural, "That is the dwarf city Tronjheim, and our destination. Inside, is the leader of the Varden; he may not look the part, but he is wise and powerful. I would suggest not angering him, he is a little irritable at times."

Asural shot Jae a confused look, not quite understanding her meaning.

Jae saw his expression and said sadly, "He has lost a lot at the hands of the Empire."

The group walked the rest of the way in silence until they reached the center of the crater. As they got closer, Asural realized that it was made completely of marble and was much grander than any structure he had ever seen.

At the gateway to enter the city, the lead dwarf exchanged some words with a few of the guards standing there and then turned and beckoned them inside.

They were led through a few turns and down some stairs until they stood in front of a large door with guards stationed in front.

The dwarf turned to Jae and said, "They are waiting for you inside." With that he and the other two dwarves went back the way they came.

Jae stepped forward and the guards, upon seeing her, knocked on the door and opened it.

Jae told Asural to wait until he is called in and entered. Two men were talking as the door opened.

The one on the right looked about 30 years old while the one on the left looked to be in his early 20s. Both stood at the same height and looked worn from hardship. They were in the middle of a heated discussion when Jae entered.

The man on the right was talking, "-get your chance soon enough. You can't go running off now that we finally have everything in order here. What if you die? What will we do then?"

The younger of the two noticed Jae's approach and raised his hand to the older.

"Ah, I see you've returned. We were beginning to worry-" and the door shut, cutting off Asural from the conversation.

Asural stood outside for about forty minutes when the guards opened the door suddenly and allowed him to enter.

As he walked in, Asural saw that the circular room was bare except for a large table at the side opposite the door with chairs surrounding it. The three were already seated at the table. The two men kept their eyes on Asural as he walked in; while Jae sat in her seat poking her arm, making changes to and reorganizing her spells.

When he reached the table, the two men stood and introduced themselves as Brom and Weldon. Weldon greeted him while the Brom stared intensely at Asural for a few long seconds, as if trying to see something, then he glanced at Jae, and the two sat back in their chairs.

As Asural took his seat, Jae spoke without looking up, "I told you I trained him, which should have made it clear that it wouldn't work, Brom."

"It never hurts to check," replied Brom with a hint of annoyance.

Weldon addressed Asural, "We've heard about you from Jae, and I have a good idea what kind of person you are; however, I would like to hear your reasons for joining the Varden."

Asural thought for a moment before answering Weldon, "I joined because I am considered a deserter, possibly a murderer and a traitor, and I have no hope if the Empire catches me. There is nothing that will change this fact unless the Empire itself is destroyed." He continued, "I joined the army because I had nowhere else to go and when I heard of the insanity and the horrors the king and his Forsworn caused, I started wondering what I had gotten myself into. For the sake of all those under the king's rule, I will see this through as far as I am able."

Weldon spoke after Asural had finished, "It's good that you know the size of what we must accomplish."

"It's easy to say such words, so we will see just how dedicated you are. We're short on people and there aren't many things pertaining to the Empire at the moment, but there is one mission that should be a good starter for you. One of our agents has been captured and is being held near a town at the southwestern edge of the Hadarac. You need to secure him and bring him back here to give us his report," Brom said. "Jae, you will accompany him, only to observe and intervene if necessary."

"Who is it that we're saving?" Asked Jae, looking up.

"Aros."

Jae nodded, "I'd expect one of the Forsworn to be coming to collect him."

"That's the problem we have here. The earliest we can get a team together for this would be 5 days. One of them will be there in three days. It's close enough that you two can make it there at night on the second day and get him out before one of them arrive. If you run into one of them, you know what to do. Go and move swiftly, time is of the essence."

Jae and Asural stood, bowed and quickly walked outside.

Once outside they stopped for a moment. "Ready?" Jae asked.

"Yea," responded Asural.

They started at a run and quickly picked up more speed and disappeared into the trees.

A few hours later, during their first break, Asural asked, "So who is Aros? I know I'm saving him, but who is he?"

"He is one of Brom's friends from before the Varden and one of our more special agents. Other than that, I don't know much; having only met him once."

"Do you know what he does for the Varden?"

"He gathers information on various members of the Empire and relays it to us so we know everything about our opponents."

"Who exactly?"

"Important individuals that we need to keep tabs on. Enough talking, it's time to move."

They arrived on the second night and stood on a hill overlooking the town.

The town was at the foot of a mountain and was a mess of houses scattered around the base.

The prison was not far outside the town and seemed well defended. It was a tower with a wall around it and had a few barracks. There were also several patrols out around the walls.

"It probably has a small army inside and several magicians." Jae said.

"This is where prisoners are kept until the king decides what to do with them. It's not the most defended prison but it is going to be a pain finding the prisoner we want and getting him out."

"I'll locate him and guide you there; you have to do the rest. This is your mission after all. I'll be in the north guard tower if you need me."

With that they dashed silently to the base of the wall avoiding the patrols. They stopped briefly at the bottom and jumped to the top of the wall.

Quickly taking the guard out, Asural paused to let Jae find Aros.

"He's near the top of the tower. There are a few guards and a magician stationed right outside his cell too," she said.

"Let me know if anything else shows up," replied Asural.

"Good luck."

Asural jumped off the wall, landing softly, and made his way swiftly to tower door without setting off any alarms.

The door was locked but it didn't pose a problem, he placed his hand on the door, the lock moved, and it swung open. Once inside he shifted back into his army uniform and walked up stairway after stairway until he reached the top.

In order to blend in, he kept his walk to a max of a brisk pace, to seem like he was on important business, but slow enough as to not draw attention to himself.

When he reached the level Aros was on he stopped outside the door, pressed his ear against it, and there was only silence on the other side.

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I shouldn't have to say this, but please review. It'll make you and I feel better. Share your thoughts on the story or what stuff I should add to make the story better or just say hi, anything is appreciated.

Please Review


	7. Update

I will be reworking my story and updating it in two days time. (If people don't get in the way of it)

Excited to be working on Nexus again!


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